Metal housing part and method for manufacturing the housing part

ABSTRACT

A metal housing part having multiple through openings, a glass filling being situated in each of the openings, each glass filling closing an opening hermetically sealed and enveloping a contact end, which extends through the opening and the glass filling and whose two ends protrude out of the glass filling and the opening, and to a method for manufacturing the metal housing part. The housing part is configured as trough-shaped, having a base wall, side walls, and a flange. Because of the trough-shaped design, the housing part maintains its original shape even when the housing part is subjected to high temperatures.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/735,486 filed on Jul. 20, 2010, which is anational phase of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2008/068308filed on Dec. 29, 2008, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 ofGerman Patent Application No. 10 2008 007 346.6 filed on Feb. 4, 2008,the content of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a metal housing part having multiplethrough openings, a glass filling being situated in each of theopenings, each glass filling closing one opening hermetically sealed andenveloping a contact pin, which extends through the opening and theglass filling and whose two ends protrude from the glass filling and theopening, and a method for manufacturing the metal housing part.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A housing part, which is referred to therein as a metal carrier part,having electronic components and/or circuit boards, in particular hybridcircuits, attached on the component side, whose terminals are led fromthe component side via multiple terminal pins embedded in glassfeedthroughs up to the side of the carrier part opposite the componentside, is discussed in German patent document DE 196 40 466 B4. Thecarrier part forms a housing base plate of a hermetically sealedhousing. Housings of this type are usable, for example, in an automatictransmission of a motor vehicle, and an electronic controller containedtherein selects gears and controls a clutch. When the terminal pins areembedded in glass, a part which receives the terminal pins is stronglyheated. The part receiving the terminal pins may deform. The terminalpins are therefore situated on the at least one metal pin strip, whichis provided with through holes, and which is manufactured from ahigh-quality alloy having a low coefficient of thermal expansion. Suchalloys are referred to as Kovar or Invar. This pin strip is insertableinto the carrier part, which is manufactured from a cost-effectivestainless steel. The carrier part and the pin strip form a housing base,which is thus designed in multiple parts.

A method for manufacturing a monopolar or multipolar electricalfeedthrough is discussed in German patent document DE 26 47 63 C3. Asocket has a tubular side wall and a base. The floor has feedthroughholes, through which the feedthrough wires are guided. The socket isinserted into a housing from the inside and welded thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The exemplary embodiments and/or exemplary methods of the presentinvention are based on the object of providing a simple housing part anda simple method for manufacturing the housing part.

This object may be achieved by the features described herein. Accordingto the exemplary embodiments and/or exemplary methods of the presentinvention, the housing part is designed as trough-shaped, having a basewall, side walls, and a flange. Because of the trough-shaped design, thehousing part maintains its original shape even if the housing part issubjected to high temperatures. The housing part is designed in onepiece and may be manufactured from cost-effective steel, advantageouslyfrom cost-effective stainless steel.

In a simple manner, each two adjacent side walls form a right angle toone another. A torsionally rigid structure is thus achieved, which doesnot deform even at high temperatures.

The contact pins are advantageously situated in the flange. The contactpins, which are perpendicular to a base trough plane, are spaced aparttherefrom. The contact pins protruding from the housing are protected ina channel of the housing. The base wall of the housing part may beplaced directly over a large area of a part of the automatictransmission for better heat dissipation.

In a simple manner, the flange has a peripheral groove. An edge of ahousing cover may be inserted into the groove and the housing cover maybe welded to the housing part.

In a simple manner, the flange has at least one further through opening.The opening is used to fasten the housing part or the housing inside theautomatic transmission.

In a simple manner, at least one tab having a through opening issituated on the flange. According to a further specific embodiment, tabsare formed on the flange, which take into account a design of theautomatic transmission, so that the housing part is attachable to theautomatic transmission.

The tab advantageously has at least one tab part having a throughopening, which is in the same plane as the base wall. After beingfastened inside the automatic transmission, both the tab part and alsothe base wall rest on a planar automatic transmission part. The housingis retained in a stable, rigid, and heat-dissipating manner on theautomatic transmission part.

The flange is advantageously designed as stepped, having two steps. Thefirst step has the through contact pin openings and the contact pins.The second step is used to fasten the housing cover, which may bedesigned as a plate.

In a simple manner, the contact pins are manufactured from stainlesssteel. They are thus oxidation-free. A nickel-iron compound is suitable.Thin wires are well attachable to these stainless steel contact pins forconnection to terminals of a hybrid circuit. Attachment of the terminalwires is also referred to as bonding.

A method for manufacturing a trough-shaped metal housing part, which isdesigned having a base wall, side walls, and a flange, has the followingmethod steps: The metal housing part is deep-drawn and contact pins areembedded in glass in openings of the metal housing part. The contactpins are advantageously embedded in glass in openings which are situatedin the flange.

The coefficient of thermal expansion of steel is advantageously greaterthan the coefficient of thermal expansion of glass, so that compressionglass embedding occurs upon cooling; in other words the glass envelopsthe steel under pressure.

The following exemplary embodiments are explained in greater detail onthe basis of the drawing for better understanding of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a trough-shaped housing part having a flange in a topview.

FIG. 1B shows the trough-shaped housing part having the flange in alateral sectional illustration.

FIG. 2A shows a second trough-shaped housing part having a flange andhaving tabs in a top view.

FIG. 2B shows the second trough-shaped housing part having the flangeand the tabs in a lateral sectional illustration.

FIG. 3 shows a third trough-shaped housing part having a stepped flangein a lateral sectional illustration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Similar or identical elements are labeled using identical referencenumerals in the various figures.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a trough-shaped housing part 1 having a base wall2, four side walls 3, and a flange 4. Base wall 2 is rectangular inshape and each two adjacent side walls 3 form a right angle 5 to oneanother. Housing base 2 and flange 4 are situated in parallel planes andat opposing ends 6, 7 of side walls 3. Base wall 2, side walls 3, andflange 4 are deep-drawn from a workpiece and are therefore designed inone piece. Flange 4 has a peripheral groove 9 on one front face 8, intowhich a housing cover may be inserted and welded to trough-shapedhousing part 1. Openings 10, which pass through flange 4, are situatedbetween groove 9 and side walls 3, in which contact pins 11 areinsertable. Contact pins 11 are enveloped by a glass filling 12 andextend through flange 4 of the housing part and have ends 13, 14protruding freely out of glass filling 12 and out of flange 4. Contactpins 11 are mounted freely in openings 10 during the manufacturing. Aglass tablet, also referred to as a glass bead, is placed in eachintermediate space between housing part 1 and contact pins 11. Housingpart 1, contact pins 11, and the glass beads are heated, and each glassbead is thus melted or sintered to form a glass filling 12, in such away that each contact pin 11 is mounted enveloped by glass filling 12 inhousing part 1 electrically insulated with respect to housing part 1. Ahermetic seal between each glass filling 12 and each contact pin 11 andeach glass filling 12 and housing part 1 is achieved using the meltingprocedure. The melting procedure is also referred to as embedding inglass. Contact pins 11 are perpendicular to a base trough plane and arespaced apart therefrom. Contact pins 11 having enlarged heads 15 areused for the purpose of attaching two terminal wires to heads 15, inorder to transport a larger quantity of current or to reach twodifferent points of an electrical circuit. The attachment of theterminal wires is also referred to as bonding of bond wires. Two throughopenings 16 of flange 4 are used to fasten the housing made of housingpart 1 and housing cover inside an automatic transmission of a motorvehicle. The housing cover is also referred to as the housing lid. Metalhousing part 1 is deep-drawn in order to obtain the trough shape. Sidewalls 3 and base wall 2 form an angle 17 slightly greater than 90° toone another. Angle 17 is between 90° and 94°.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show a second trough-shaped housing part 1 having a basewall 2, four side walls 3, a flange 4, and five tabs 21. Base wall 2,side walls 3, flange 4, and five tabs 21 are deep-drawn from a workpieceand are therefore designed in one piece. Tabs 21, which are designed inone piece with housing part 1, are attached on flange 4. Each tab 21 hasat least one through opening 16 for fastening the housing made ofhousing part 1 and housing lid inside the automatic transmission. Tab 21has two tab parts 22 and 23, which form an angle 17, which is slightlygreater than 90°, to one another. A first tab part 22 is placed using acurved part 24 on flange 4 so that second tab part 23 lies in the sameplane as base wall 2. After being fastened inside the automatictransmission, both tab part 23 and also base wall 2 rest on a planarautomatic transmission part and are thus retained securely and in acooling manner.

FIG. 3 shows a hermetically sealed housing 29 having a thirdtrough-shaped housing part 1 and a housing cover 30. Third trough-shapedhousing part 1 has a base wall 2, four side walls 3, and a steppedflange 4. Stepped flange 4 has two steps 31 and 32 and an intermediatepart 33. Base wall 2 and steps 31 and 32 are in parallel planes. Sidewall 3 and intermediate part 33 of each side of housing part 1 are inparallel planes. Intermediate part 33 and steps 31 form an angle 17,which is slightly greater than 90°, to one another. First step 31 hasthrough contact pin openings 10. Contact pins 11 are situated in firststep 31. Second step 33 is used for fastening second housing cover 30,which is designed as a plate.

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A metal housing part, comprising: contact pins; anda metal housing arrangement including multiple through openings;wherein: for each of the openings, a respective glass filling issituated in, closes, and hermetically seals the respective opening; eachof the glass fillings envelops a respective contact pin, which contactpin extends through, and whose two ends protrude out of, the respectiveglass filling and the respective opening in which the respective glassfilling is situated; the metal housing arrangement is configured astrough-shaped including a base wall, side walls and a flange; and theflange includes a peripheral groove.
 12. A metal housing part,comprising: contact pins; and a metal housing arrangement includingmultiple first through openings; wherein: for each of the openings, arespective glass filling is situated in, closes, and hermetically sealsthe respective opening; each of the glass fillings envelops a respectivecontact pin, which contact pin extends through, and whose two endsprotrude out of, the respective glass filling and the respective openingin which the respective glass filling is situated; the metal housingarrangement is configured as trough-shaped including a base wall, sidewalls and a flange; and the flange includes at least one second throughopening.
 13. A metal housing part, comprising: contact pins; and a metalhousing arrangement including multiple first through openings; wherein:for each of the first through openings, a respective glass filling issituated in, closes, and hermetically seals the respective opening; eachof the glass fillings envelops a respective contact pin, which contactpin extends through, and whose two ends protrude out of, the respectiveglass filling and the respective first through opening in which therespective glass filling is situated; the metal housing arrangement isconfigured as trough-shaped including a base wall, side walls and aflange; and at least one tab including a second through opening issituated on the flange.
 14. The housing part of claim 16, wherein thesecond through opening is in a part of the tab that is in a same planeas the base wall.
 15. A method for manufacturing a metal housing part,the method comprising: deep-drawing the metal housing part, wherein themetal housing part is trough-shaped, and includes a base wall, sidewalls, and a flange; and embedding contact pins in glass in respectiveopenings of the metal housing part.
 16. The method of claim 15, whereinthe glass fills in, closes, and hermetically seals the openings.
 17. Themethod of claim 15, wherein, for each of the openings, glass within therespective opening envelops a respective one of the contact pins, therespective contact pin extending through, with its two ends protrudingout of, the respective glass filling and the respective opening in whichthe respective glass filling is situated.
 18. The method of claim 15,wherein, for each of the openings, glass within the respective opening:fills in, closes, and hermetically seals the respective opening; andenvelops a respective one of the contact pins, the respective contactpin extending through, with its two ends protruding out of, therespective glass filling and the respective opening in which therespective glass filling is situated.
 19. The method of claim 18,wherein the flange includes a peripheral groove.
 20. The method of claim18, wherein the flange includes at least one second through opening. 21.The method of claim 18, wherein at least one tab including a secondthrough opening is situated on the flange.
 22. The method of claim 21,wherein the second through opening is in a part of the tab that is in asame plane as the base wall.